Motherland
by Pen to Paper Writer
Summary: Sophia Turner had been a traitor until the end. She'd played Rick Castle and he never knew it. She'd come away with the only thing that can come back and haunt him, or possibly kill him. Will Kate save him in time or has he gone past the point of no return? Even in death she still finds a way to wound him. Kate B., Rick C., Alexis C., Martin D., Sophia T., Martha R. & OC
1. Chapter 1

Martin Danberg stretches in his first-class seat as he listens to the announcement on the flight that has him landing in Moscow in less than thirty minutes at Sheremetyevo International Airport. He's been in this seat for the last nine hours and his body feels the stress. He will be one of over thirty-four million people who has passed through this airport yearly when he heads on his way to Kostroma. Kostroma. The small city is populated roughly by about two hundred fifty thousand people. In the last two years she had been dead, he'd been here a handful of times since then.

Xx

 _23 months ago…_

 _"Danberg, my office now."_

 _Michael Morell bellows._

 _"Yes, sir." Danberg replies._

 _Danberg enters and stands in front of the deputy director's desk and waits until the deputy director sits down._

 _"Have a seat Danberg."_

 _The deputy director leaf's through some paperwork and stops on one page for a moment then continues on. When he finishes he looks to Danberg._

 _"Agent Danberg, I understand that you and Sophia Turner were partners?"_

 _"We were, sir." Danberg is at a loss why he would be asking him this since he assigned them together._

 _"Now I have no right to ask you this but it's something that I need to know."_

 _"Yes sir, go ahead."_

 _"Were you and your partner Sophia Turner ever involved in a sexual relationship?"_

 _Danberg looks at him appalled but schools his features quickly. He at least had the decency to look down and away from him after he asks the question._

 _"Sir at no time was I ever nor did I ever have a sexual relationship with a traitor."_

 _"Then we seem to be at an impasse."_

 _"How so sir?"_

 _"What I am about to tell you is not to leave this room."_

 _The deputy director sees him nod._

 _"We've been looking deeply into Agent Turner since we found out that she was playing both sides. Just after she joined the CIA in 1998 she was working closely with an agent, one of which we have no idea of where he is right now, or I'd be asking him these questions instead of you."_

 _"Sir, I am still having a little trouble figuring out how I can be of any help."_

 _"Danberg, you knew her, you were her partner for three, almost four years. Now from what I understand she confided in you about certain issues in her life."_

 _"Sir, if you are implying that she had told me that she was a double agent, I would kindly ask you to stop right there."_

 _The deputy director knows that he's made the right choice as he looks at the man in front of him._

 _"Mr. Danberg, I know that you are true to the mission of the CIA. But what I have planned for you is a complex series of events that will test your faith in the person you once called your partner."_

 _Martin does not miss the change in his title. Now as he sits there he wonders just what he's gotten into._

 _"We know that Sophia Turner was a double agent. She was a sleeper and she had played every one of us. She had sold top-secret U.S. secrets to the Russians, Czechs, Laos, and North Korea and according to our agents in the former Soviet Union, these secrets were of little or no value to us. Not that we take this kind of thing lightly but we are glad that the information she sold never went any further than her Russian handler. What she sold them was at least a decade old and literally of no use to them."_

 _Danberg nods knowing that nothing was ever compromised by her actions._

 _"Natalya Conrad, Наталья Conrad to be more specific."_

 _"I'm sorry sir but just who is Natalya Conrad?"_

 _"She is the person who is at the center of this issue. She is an eight-year-old girl who could be in a situation that she has no idea about that's where you come in. Mr. Danberg what I'm going to need you to do now is fly to Moscow, Russia. There you will be met by a representative from the Christian Orphanage for Girls in Kostroma, Russia ."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"We have reason to believe that agent Turner has set up this child in the same way that she was set up as a sleeper. You see Mr. Danberg, agent Turner was by all means just like us down to every detail and no one knew. It was only 4 months before she was shot and killed that she was activated by the motherland. What we fear is that she has the same design for this young child. Since Agent Turner was killed, this girl could be a target for the FSB or could be working with them already. Your job will be to find out if this child was hers naturally, or was she adopted. Either way, after you find this girl, you'll befriend her and get her to return with you at a later date. So, any light that you could possibly shed on any relationship that she had in the past would be appreciated."_

 _Danberg searches his memory to figure out who she could have possibly been seeing while he was her partner. As far as he knows there was not one single mention of a man in her life. But he had not been aware of every thought she had._

 _"Sir, I am at a loss about who she could have been with. I could possibly look into the ex-agent that she was traitorous with, maybe that could yield some direction to take with your okay that is."_

 _"I assume that you are referring to Mr. Glenn_ _Corrigan, correct?"_

 _"Yes sir that would be him."_

 _The deputy director thinks it over and can't really see a reason to deny his request. He just might be able to get something out of Corrigan._

 _"Okay, Mr. Danberg. I'll authorize a one-time meeting with him. But he was sent to the Federal prison in Lee county across the state after he was convicted of treason. It's a high-security U.S. penitentiary, and he'll only be able to see you for fifteen minutes in total."_

 _"Thank you sir, but I do have just one question to ask."_

 _"And that would be?"_

 _"Why are you calling me by my name and not my title of an agent?"_

 _"For two reasons Mr. Danberg. As of last year, you were eligible for retirement. This case that you will be working will be your last. Because you will be heading to Russia at a regular rate, the agency can't have an active agent in Russia while looking into this. The second reason is that you are a year past mandatory retirement. You should consider yourself lucky that admin didn't pick up on it sooner. After your visit with Mr. Corrigan, your service with the agency will be over. You shouldn't worry about money because until this case is settled you will still be paid at your current level. The only thing you won't be able to get is the annual increases. I have a feeling that this will be a long and drawn out process before it's all said and done."_

Xx

The plane landed ahead of schedule and Danberg gets up from his seat. He reaches for the overhead compartment and opens it to remove his carryon. Pulling it down her picture falls out of his bag and lands on the aisle by his feet. It was taken after his third visit to see her. They went to an ice cream shop named Horns and Hoofs. But after they arrived she wanted to eat breakfast for dinner so they did just that. Just as they were about to leave she asked the waitress in Russian to take a picture of them so she could always see him when she felt lonely. He had two copies made up one for him and one for her. He kneels down to pick up the picture and then he sees it. He's seen those features and smile before but he can't place it. He doesn't know how he could have overlooked it before this. But as he stands in the middle of the aisle staring at the picture in his hand, it's her eyes that draw him in…

A/N: Continue Yes/No?  
Updates will be posted on Sundays if there is an interest in this story. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Martin pockets the picture and hastily walks down the aisle of the plane. He has done this many times and knows exactly where to go. He doesn't know the rental car person by her name but he knows her by sight. She apparently knows him as well because her face lights up when she sees him walking towards her.

"Oksana, rad snova tebya videt'." (Oksana, it's good to see you again.)

"Very good Mr. Danberg, your Russian is improving. Before you know it, you be speaking it like a second language."

"I'm sure that it will take longer for me to speak it fluently. I can just get by with the basics."

"Well, I think you're doing very well. So, heading back out to Kostroma?"

"Yes. Is there a car available for me?"

"Yes, we have a nice BMW 530e X Drive sedan waiting for you. The tank is full of petrol and I even took the liberty of adding a GPS unit at no charge for you. Am I am assuming that you'll need it for the week, correct?"

"Yes, I will need it for the week, possibly longer."

"Oh, is there a problem?" She asks.

"Nothing that I can't handle. But if I need the car longer I will call."

Martin drives out of the airport and onto E115. It's just about a five-and-a-half-hour drive to get to the orphanage in Kostroma. He usually stops at Yaroslavl to get a quick bite to eat before he gets there. He's grateful that he had booked the overnight flight to Moscow with any luck he will be there by lunchtime.

He pulls into the orphanage parking lot, well it's really a dirt lot since not much is paved here. He gets out of the BMW and stretches before he starts to walk to the front entrance to the children's home. The walk he makes brings him back to a year ago when he first arrived…

 _He had the worst flight to Moscow and now he stands in the rental car line which is ten deep watching all the good cars go in front of him. He knows he's going to end up with a clunker. By the time he gets to the counter all that's left is a 2004 Peugeot 307. And its diesel on top of that._

 _He makes the drive in little under six hours and before he knows it he's at the orphanage. As he pulled into the parking lot he sees a dignified blonde standing at the door watching his every move. He gets out of the car and walks up to the front door hoping she'll be his friend. Because right now he really needs one._

 _"Good afternoon I'm Martin Danberg and I'm here to see a Maya Ivanov would you be her?"_

 _At first, the woman just stares at him not knowing what he wants. He's dressed in a suit and tie which automatically sends up warning signs in her mind. She thinks he's here to evaluate her and her job she does at the orphanage._

 _Martin who's quick to see that she's a little reserved tells her,_

 _"Miss, I'm not here in an official capacity. I'm here to see a child who could be connected to a case that I'm working. It's important that I see this girl."_

 _Her features soften a little and she opens the door to let him come in. In broken English, she asks who he's here to see and she gets little Natalya into the living space. She watches as they sit and talk but the language barrier is substantial between them. And she finds that she is helping translate some words for him and her._

Present day…

He sees her before she sees him and she looks upset about something.

"Maya, is everything okay?"

"Mr. Martin I have some bad news."

For some reason, she couldn't look him in the eye so he knew whatever she had to tell him it wasn't going to be good

"Maya, it can't be that bad whatever it is just tell me and we'll figure it out together."

'Okay, Mr. Martin. When I had brought down Natalya to the breakfast table this morning there was a knock on the door. When I answer there were two men in very nice suits. They never told me who they were and just came in. They walked right up to the to the table and sat down surrounding Natalya."

"Okay, what happened then?"

"They talked to Natalya in Russian and before I had a chance to say anything one man stayed with Natalia and the other one went upstairs to pack her clothes and personal items. They took her away from here."

"Maya, how long ago did this happen?"

"About an hour and a half ago. They were driving a black sedan. You probably passed them on your way here."

"Do you have any idea where they went or who they were?"

"I've heard stories like this where these men go to different orphanages and just take a child. Male or female it doesn't matter to them. If I had to guess who it was I would think it would be the FSB."

Martin sits back on the chair and thinks. His whole world is now just been thrown off-kilter. Finding her is going to be next to impossible. And he really needs to find her.

"Maya, I'm going to have to leave and see if I can find Natalya. I think I have a lead on who she might be. What has happened here is not the least bit suspicious. I think that there is more going on here than you know about, something that's going to put Natalya in danger."

"Mr. Martin can I come with you, I think I can be able to help."

"Maya, who'll take care of the other children here?"

"There are three other aides here working full time. I can come to help?"

"Okay let's go. Can you tell me which way they went when they left?"

"They went towards Moscow."

Soon they were back on the E115 heading southwest towards Moscow. Martin knew this was a long shot but he needed to ask her this.

"Maya, when did you admit Natalya into the orphanage?"

"I don't really remember, but it was sometime around 2008. She was about three I'd guess."

"This is important, do you know who brought her to you?"

"Yes, she was in her mid-thirties. Tall, good-looking, and a brunette. She was wearing very expensive clothes."

"Did she visit her?"

"No. I never saw her after she dropped her off after that day."

Martin knows that this is Sofia. He just can't prove it. Then he has another thought.

"Maya, is there a record of her signing anything when she dropped off Natalya?"

"The orphanage keeps records for ten years, so the forms she filled out should still be there."

"Good. I will need to look at them. But since I was last here how was she acting? Was she carefree as usual?"

"Yes, actually she was opening up more. She was excelling in her English language class and she had made up pictures of her and me. They were always happy ones."

By the time they had made it to Moscow, Martin was lost. He had no idea where to go to find Natalya.

"Mr. Martin please turn left here, onto that street." Maya told him.

He did so without question but then thought better of it after he did.

"Maya, where are we going?"

"My brother hears some things and could maybe help us. He has his ear to the ground so to speak."

They pull up to a weather-beaten home, he thinks it's a home and stops the car. Maya gets out and takes his hand for him to follow. They enter through a door and walk up a flight of stairs. She stops in front of a door and pounds on it for about a minute.

"VLADISLAV Отвечай на твою дверь!" (Answer your door!) Maya yells out.

"Держи рубашку, я иду!" (Keep your shirt on, I'm coming!)

The door opens and Martin sees a habitual drug user he can see the track marks on his arms and between his fingers. Maybe this was not such a great idea.

"Vladislav, "Mne nuzhno, chtoby ty sosredotochilsya. Mne nuzhno znat', znayete li vy, gde malen'kaya devochka po imeni Natal'ya byla dostavlena" (I need you to focus. I need to know if you know where a little girl named Natalya has been taken to.)

Knowing that this guy is higher than a kite Martin decides to step back and let Maya handle her brother. He's stunned when she backhands him across his face to get a response from him. It hardly phases him. It's then when he notices Martin.

"Podozhdi, kto etot paren'?" (Wait, who is this guy?)

"Vladislav, Mne nuzhna informatsiya. Vy videli chto-nibud' ran'she dnem? (I need information. Have you seen anything earlier this afternoon?")

"Da, okolo chasa nazad chernaya mashina dvigalas' ochen' bystro po gorodu. Voditel' ostanovilsya v Bogorodskom rayone. Mashina ostanovilas' v Gorodskoy detskoy klinike № 28 Filial № 2. Eto vse, chto ya znayu."

(Yes, about an hour ago a black car was moving really fast through the city. The driver stopped at the Bogorodskoye District. The car stopped at the City Children's Clinic № 28 Branch № 2. That's all I know.")

Maya turned and left but before she got out of her brother's earshot she told him that he needed to stop using the drugs, to which he simply replied that it was going to be the death of him and he didn't care.

They had somewhere to look for Natalya and they both got into his car. When they finally got through the Moscow traffic they pulled up near the clinic. This Martin thought this place looked worse than her brothers home.

"Mr. Martin, let's go and see what we can find out about Natalya." Maya said.

Martin stopped her by grabbing her arm and held her in place in the front seat.

"Maya, I need to do this alone. I don't want you getting into any trouble with the people in there. You are the director of the orphanage and they could go after your job."

"Mr. Martin, they speak only Russian in there. You'd get nowhere. I can translate for you."

"Okay but if there are any signs of trouble you run and keep running."

Maya nods her head in affirmation. They both get out of the car and start walking towards the Clinic. As they cross the street they look to their left and sitting in a one-lane alley is a black sedan that had one men dresses in an expensive suit. In a whisper, Maya tells Martin about the car.

 _"Mr. Martin, that is the car that took Natalya. I am sure of it!"_

They keep walking casually until they reach the door to the clinic. Martin won't tip his hand just yet. He pulls the door open and allows Maya to enter first. He has no idea what will be said as they walk up to the counter where an older woman looks at them expectantly.

"Ty govorish' po-angliyski?" (Do you speak English?) Maya asks.

The woman holds up her index finger and thumb indicating the small gap between her two fingers. Martin leans in and whispers something into Maya's ear.

"Ne mogli by vy rasskazat' mne, byla li malen'kaya korichnevovolosaya devushka, privezennaya syuda v techeniye poslednego chasa ili okolo togo? Yeye zovut Natal'ya." (Can you tell me if there was a little brown haired girl brought in here within the last hour or so? Her name is Natalya.)

The older lady now knows that the man who brought in the little girl in to be seen does not know her and is not related to her as he said he was. She will do something about it now. Many times, she has seen this happen and for once she will put a stop to it.

"Tebe nuzhno toropit'sya, chelovek, kotoryy prishel s ney, nakhoditsya v tualete, on skoro vernetsya, ona nakhoditsya v tret'yem zanaveshennom rayone sleva, idi i podnimite yeye v bezopasnosti."

("You need to hurry! The man that came in with her is in the lavatory, he will return soon. She is in the third curtained area on the left, go now and get her to safety.")

Maya and Martin take off at a quick pace. The second he sees her she is all smiles and she yells out his name

"Marty! Marty are we playing a game?"

"Yes. But now we are going to play another game called hide and seek. Can you play with us?"

"I am good at hiding! Let's play."

Martin and Maya both take one of her hands and slip out of the exam area. They leave through the side exit and head back to the BMW. Once everyone is in and buckled up he starts the car and puts it in drive and as he turns onto a street back towards the center of Moscow he sees in the rearview mirror the man in the car in the alley get out and run towards the side of the building…


	3. Chapter 3

Rick knew that she was still having the nightmares. Many times, during the course of the night he would hear her crying in the bathroom. But the woman he was looking at before him, was a changed person. He was relieved that she had opened up to him and told him about the fear she felt when Kelly Neiman wanted to remove her face. This was something that she had never done before, she never opened up and told him how she was feeling. Maybe, just maybe they were turning over a new leaf with their feelings and even though they were only married for the past three months, he'd felt the need to talk to her about possibly having children with him. He loved being a father and if he was right they'd make beautiful children together.

Xx

Martin does all he can to avoid being trapped in a PIT move by the Audi coming close to his right rear bumper.

"Mr. Martin turn right here quickly." Maya shouts and Danberg hooks a sharp right down a narrow side street. The turn turned out to be a blessing for them. The Audi was just about to tap them in the right side, but with the momentum of the maneuver it put them out of position and they sailed right past them without any contact.

"Maya, where to now?" Martin asks hoping there is a way out of this.

"Mr. Martin, turn left at the stop sign and then turn right onto Varshavskoye Highway. Drive about 26.4 kilometers and then you will be near the airport district."

"Maya we can't go near the airport. We need a someplace to lay low for a while until things cool down. Do you know of any place like this? A place that is safe?"

"Da, I mean yes. I do. It's a small community by the Moskva river. It's mostly older retired people they'll say nothing about us being there."

"Marty are we done playing hide and seek?" Natalya asked from the back seat.

"No, we're not done just yet, Natalya. Why don't you close your eyes and count again."

"Okay, I can do that."

While Natalya was busy counting Martin drove to the Nagatinsky Zaton District and parked the BMW right next to the banks of the Moskva river. They would hide out there for a while before he moved again. But before he could think about doing that he had to check if his hunch held any water. He looks out at the Moskva river and thinks.

Xx

Kate was standing at the breakfast bar eating the fruit he had prepared for her. As he steps up behind her she eases back into his body and he feels the tension from the last couple of days drain right out of her frame.

"Babe, you know I never properly thanked you for coming to save me from that psycho bitch."

"Kate I'm your partner in everything. I'd never leave you to be killed by her or anyone if I can help it."

"Now you need to tell me all about this assault charge."

"Well, when Tyson had you taken off the street…."

Rick is interrupted by his phone ringing. And he pulls it out to answer.

"Hello, this is Rick Castle."

"Mr. Castle, I'm not sure if you remember me but my name is Martin Danberg."

"Sure I remember you. How are you agent Danberg?"

Kate stops eating her fruit and raises an eyebrow at the mention of the CIA agents name.

"I'm doing good, well as good as can be. Mr. Castle, I need…"

"Agent Danberg, I think that we're past the point of proper names, just call me Rick please."

"Alright, Rick. I need to ask you a very personal question. One that can mean life or death."

"Wow, this sounds serious." Rick says now giving Danberg his undivided attention.

"When you were shadowing Sophia Turner were the two of you ever intimate with each other?"

Rick knows that they were intimate because Sophia had taken the initiative one night after the closing of a very tough case. One thing led to another and they…. well intimate doesn't really cover what they did that night. But his mind does not like what he's being asked. Something is wrong. An active CIA agent would never ask a question of this nature.

"Agent Danberg, I don't see why, if we _were_ intimate, this has to do with anything a case involving the CIA."

"Rick, first of all, I am no longer an active agent. Secondly, I did mention that this was a matter of utmost importance and I don't use that phrase lightly. I have my reasons so could you please answer the question?"

"We had one night together and then right after I fell asleep she was gone. I woke up the next morning to an empty bed, and I never saw her again." Rick really hated to talk about this time in his life knowing that she was a traitor. He loved her. Maybe that's why she never said it back.

"Rick, there might be a complication from that night you had with her. Right now, I am in the Russian Federation. I was sent her to provide protection for a certain person who we believe is or could possibly be compromised to take the same route that Sophia had taken."

"The Russian Federation?! Have you lost all sense of any good judgment? Why are you there Danberg and I want a straight answer!"

God, he hated to do this to him but he needed to be honest with him. There still could be a possibility that he was wrong.

"Rick, I have information that could change your life as you know it. I was sent here to watch and take care of Natalya Conrad." Martin was met with silence. Rick was not saying anything because he was probably thinking about her name.

Damn, he knows that name, Conrad. He tries to recollect that name and after a minute or so and then it hits him. Sophia once used the alias of Conrad on an op. Shit, what has she done, well what had she done?

"Martin, what aren't you telling me?" Rick shakily asked.

"I don't want to talk out of turn, but I think that Sophia became pregnant after the two of you.…"

"Martin stop! Don't finish that sentence This can't be. I- I mean she would have told me."

"Rick she pulled the wool over all of our eyes. She was a double agent do you really think that she'd tell you anything that would compromise her cover with the agency?"

"No, I get it. But I am still having a hard time believing what you are suggesting."

"Welcome to my world." Martin tried to lighten the situation but needed to get back on track.

"Rick I need help." Martin looked in the rearview mirror of the BMW and saw Natalya just watching him with a smile.

"What can I do for you Martin?"

"I need safe passage out of here for three. There is no way that I can use any quick mode of transportation. Planes and trains are out. There is a group trying to stop us from leaving."

"Danberg are you safe right now?"

Rick never hears the answer because Kate had taken the phone from him. Kate who had been listening to the entire conversation had some information for Danberg.

"Danberg it's Beckett. Is there anyone who speaks Russian there with you?"

"There is hold on a sec…"

Maya takes the phone that's offered and listens to the voice on the other end.

"Privet, kto eto?" (Hello, who's this?)

Privet, menya zovut Mayya. (Hello, my name is Maya)

"Mayya, ya Keyt. Pozhaluysta poslushayte menya. Sushchestvuyet mnogokvartirnyy dom naprotiv politseyskogo uchastka v 24-y ulitse Kuznetskogo mosta. Yest' chelovek, kotoryy dostavit vas v bezopasnoye mesto. Prosto dover'sya yey"

(Maya I'm Kate. There is an apartment building across from the police station at 24 Ulitsa Kuznetskiy Most. There is a person who will get you to a safe place. Just trust her.)

"Khorosho, Keyt. YA budu. Ty sobirayesh'sya pozvonit' nam tuda?"

(Okay Kate. I will. Are you going to call us there?)

"Da, ya soglasen. YA budu uveren, chto vy v bezopasnosti. YA takzhe sdelayu tak, chtoby vy popali iz strany."

(Yes, I will. I will make sure that you are safe. I will also make sure that you get of the country.)

"Mayya, mozhesh' li ty vernut' Martina po telefonu."

(Maya, can you put Martin back on the phone.) Kate asked.

"Beckett?" Martin questioned.

"Danberg, I've given you a safe place to stay for forty-eight hours. By then we should have you out of there."

"Beckett, I don't know how to thank you."

"You can thank me by not getting yourself killed."

"I won't. Thanks, Kate."

After ending the call, Kate turned to Rick as she still stood at the breakfast bar.

"Rick we really need to talk."

"Yeah, we do….."


	4. Chapter 4

Finland. He could not believe what Rick had arranged. If he didn't know any better he thought that Rick was thinking and implementing a plan that went way beyond what he wrote about in his books. But he was so very grateful for the help he gave them.

 _12 hours earlier…_

"Martin, it's Kate. I have talked to a friend in Helsinki who will get you and two other people out of the Federation. It will be complicated, but there should be nothing to stop you and you should have no problems pulling this off."

"Kate, I don't like the sound of this already. What do you have planned?"

Kate just steamrolled over his concerns. Time was limited and they needed to cover a lot.

"First Martin, you and your posse are going to find a way to Tallinn, Estonia. Since you can't fly you're going need to drive there. We have cleared you through Estonia customs and into Helsinki, Finland. This will be your first stop and test. The test will be to see how you can cross country borders with your new passports and you are going to ditch the rental car there. You'll be given a new car by a friend and from there you will be driving to Naantali to catch a car transport to Kapellskär, Sweden. From there it's onto Oslo, Norway. You will stay the night there just to take another break. When you start the next morning, you will head to Kanalen, Norway. And then you'll be on another car transport to Hirtshals, Denmark. When you get off you will be on the E-39 until it splits to the South on the E-45 near Nørre Uttrup, Denmark."

"Kate, can you slow down a second? It's hard to write all this down."

"Okay, let me know when you're ready."

"Okay go on." Danberg requests.

"Alright, when you cross over into Germany the E-45 becomes part of the autobahn it's named the A-7. Take A-7, to A-1, to A-43, to A-52, then to A-2, A-3, then finally A-40. After you cross over into Belgium it's A-67, E-34, E-17, E-40 all through the country. Then when you enter France stay on A-16 to Calais and get on the Tunnel sous la Manche train. (Eurotunnel) From there you are almost where you need to be."

"Kate this will take me forever to get wherever we are going to."

"Martin once you get off the train you only have another hour to get to Southampton. Once you get there you have a day to recoup. I know that this trip is just short of 5000 miles, but it's the best we can do to get you safely home. We calculate that it will take you about five and a half days to get there. Once you have rested you will have tickets for you, Maya, and Natalya waiting for you. But here's the problem, we're deciding on how to get you out of there. Either a cruise to New York from Southampton or a bus to Heathrow. By the time you reach the second stop in Oslo we will have an answer for you. I need you to send me pictures of the three of you so Rick can get his guy to make your new British passports."

"Why British Kate?"

"The three of you would look a little out of place with Russian ones, so to blend in more, British passports was the way to go."

"How long before they get here?"

"Ideally about by the time you will be leaving tomorrow morning. Is Seymon there?"

"He is. Hold on…" Martin gives him the phone and starts talking to Kate.

"Privet, Keyt, kak dela?" (Hello Kate, how are you?)

"YA khoroshiy Seymon. Utrom gosti uydut. YA khochu poblagodarit' vas za to, chto vy pozabotilis' o nikh. Mogu ya vam chto-nibud' otpravit'?" (I'm good Seymon. Your guests will be leaving in the morning. I want to thank you for taking good care of them for me. Can I send you anything?)

"Da, ty mozhesh'. Mozhete li vy otpravit' mne sluchay solodovogo shotlandtsa?" (Yes, you can. Can you send me a case of single malt Scotch?)

"YA uveren, chto smogu ustroit' chto-nibud' dlya tebya. Chto-nibud' yeshche?" (I'm sure I can arrange something for you. Anything else?)

"Net, etogo nedostatochno? Spasibo, Keyt i pozabot'tes' o sebe i o svoyem muzhe. Proshchay." (No isn't that enough? Thank you, Kate, and Take care of yourself and your husband. Goodbye.)

"Do svidaniya, moy drug, i udachi." (Good bye my friend and good luck.)

Xx

 _The prior 24 hours…._

"Rick we really need to talk."

"Yeah, we do….."

He is trying to put it all together in his head before he tells her what she is obviously thinking already. He tries to remember the events that lead up to when they slept together but all he can remember is meeting her after the case, having a little too much to drink and then she led them to her hotel suite. He definitely remembers the lovemaking, but she was long gone by the time he woke up. He would never deny a child if he were their parent. He will need to have a DNA test done to make sure that Martin is not on some type of mind-altering drugs, but he does believe him. Why would he concoct a story like this in the first place? Which brings him to another thought, who would be after her and why?

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Talk to me. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Kate, I'm sorry. I never thought that she could be pregnant."

"So this could be true? You could be Natalya's father?"

"I can't say for sure, but there is more than a chance that she is." Rick watches as Kate's shoulders slump down and she crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively. She's shutting down and he doesn't want her to.

"Kate don't…" He never finishes because she talks right over him.

"Don't what Rick? Don't tell you that you might have two daughters now? Don't tell you that maybe I _wanted_ to be the next woman to give you a child? Don't tell you that our lives are now going to change drastically? Don't tell you what Rick?"

"Kate, please. I know that this is something that was thrown at us, but I swear that I had no idea. I am finding out about this just like you are. If I could go back in time and do it all over knowing what I know now I'd have never slept with her."

God, she was so mad. But now she realizes that it's not him she's really mad at, only the situation they're in now.

"Rick I'm sorry. I didn't mean to unload on you. Forgive me?"

"Yes I do. And it's okay to vent your frustrations at me. That's what makes us _us_. We have become better at communicating and this was a big topic to discuss. But did you mean what you said before?"

"Mean what babe?"

"That you wanted to give me a child?"

Kate drops her head trying to hide her blushing face. "I did."

"Well, we will need to talk about that later. Right now, I need your help. I've been racking my brain to figure out why the traitor of an agent kept Natalya hidden from me. I know that you were not born in Russia but have you heard anything like what Martin was telling us?"

"I remember talk about how orphaned children were taken by the KGB and trained to be weapons. They were trained in hand to hand, weapons, explosives, and evasion tactics. If I remember correctly they were called red sparrows. They were masters at deception and could hide among anyone and not be found out. I would bet money on it that Sofia was one."

"Should we be concerned about Natalya?"

"No. At least I don't think so. Martin was able to get to her before the FSA got a hold of her. And I bet that they wanted her for that sole purpose."

"Are you okay with all this?" Rick asked.

"Babe, she had no control over what happened to her. So, no we can't blame her. But yes, I'm okay with her being your daughter. I hope that she can speak English. Until we know different I still can speak Russian so language won't be a problem."

"We need to get to work on their exit plan. I was thinking that they can use the rental car to get them through to Southampton and from there take a cruise to New York. There will be little or no attention to a couple and a child driving through Europe."

"The plan could work, I really don't think that they will have Maya and Martin's picture at every border crossing. Natalya, I'm not so sure about. The FSA can play dirty and say she is a threat to the federation."

All we can hope is that this will work then. Maybe fly them out of London? It is far enough away for them to look there."

"I'm not sure…"


	5. Chapter 5

Exhausting! There was no other word for what he was going through right now. They were on the third day of their trip across just about all of Europe. He had a newfound respect for his mother and father's patience. He can honestly say that he's glad that he's never had any children of his own. It's not that Natalya was a bother, but she had more than once stretched his last functional nerve to its limit. She wanted to stop at most every roadside attraction she saw during their ride.

"Mr. Martin, can we please stop at the carnival?" She asked as they passed one somewhere in Sweden.

Of course, he had to let her down easy and told her that they were on a strict timetable and could not stop. It was shortly after that that he knew that she and Maya were both retaliating against him by conveniently telling him that they needed to use the restroom facilities every hour and a half. By the time he heard the next request to relieve themselves ninety minutes later he knew that he needed to set some ground rules.

"Martin, why are we pulling over?" Maya asked.

When the car came to a complete stop, he started with his new rules.

"The reason I am stopping it to tell you both something. There will be scheduled stops from now on. We need to be in Southampton in 2 days."

"Listen, guys, I know this is a very long and boring trip but we need to be in Southampton in about 48 hours. All we have to do is finish up going through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and then finally the UK. So, will you please agree two limiting your potty breaks?"

Both women looked at each other and nodded knowing that they've been caught.

"Martin, how many hours and miles do we have left to go?" Maya asked.

"Well we have about 12 and a half hours left to get to Southampton, and it's about seven hundred miles. I'm not too sure what arrangements were made for us when we get to Southampton but we'll find out when we get there."

"When we get to Southampton can we have time together to have a good meal at a decent restaurant?" Natalya asked.

"I'm sure that that can be arranged along with a good night's sleep."

"Well let's get going the longer we sit here the longer it will take us to get there." Maya reasoned.

"Okay, so we're off!" Martin said as he put the car into first gear and left the shoulder once again on their trip to England.

By the time they got to England they had all made the decision to drive the remainder of the trip non-stop.

Xx

"Rick stop worrying about that and come over here." Kate said because he was acting like a seven-year-old.

"But Kate, they should have called by now. I really wanted to be the one to tell them what we did for them!"

"Babe, you'll tell them when they call. I know you think this is all 007 stuff, but this is serious. The FSA is worse than the old KGB. They are ruthless and Martin still has his hands full. They will do anything to get Natalya back."

Rick turned serious right then. She watched as he went through all they had laid on the dining room table. Routes to follow, hotels they stayed at, and the timetable.

"Kate, I still think that flying them out of England is still the best way for them to get here. A cruise line would take seven to eight days to get them to New York."

"I know that you want them here quickly. But I have a bad feeling that the FSA will have people in place to stop them from ever getting on a plane."

"So you're sure that they would cover almost every airport in Europe? And that a cruise would be the best way to get them here safely?" Rick asked wanting to know

"I do. And we're in luck the Queen Mary II sails in two days."

"Yeah, the Cunard line. My mother has sailed there many times."

"They will need to stay in Southampton for at least an extra day, right?"

"That could be arranged right? Just add an extra day to the stay for them. Did you get them one or two rooms?"

"Two. One for the girls and an adjoining one for Martin."

"That's good. Now, all we need to do is wait for their call."

"Yeah, waiting is the hard part. But in the meantime, I think that I'll call my security company and arrange a trio of bodyguards to take the trip with them. Incognito will be the way to go here. They will pose as just regular passengers."

"Rick, how good are these guys? Don't forget Martin is ex-CIA. He will spot them easily and could possibly consider them a threat."

"So we should give him a heads up?"

"I think that he'd be grateful that he was kept in the loop. And he can relax a little, it's a hard job to keep people safe."

"Okay, I'll call the firm and set it up. And then when he finally calls, I'll tell him that they will have company when the set sail."

"Good call babe."

Xx

"Are you sure that they are not within the borders of the Federation?"

"Net! Oni ubezhali. My dumayem, chto oni, vozmozhno, vyyekhali na zapad, no u nas yest' tol'ko kadry iz nikh, ostanavlivayushchiyesya v odnom pridorozhnom magazine. i eto uzhe ne odin den'." (No! They have escaped. We think that they have possibly driven to the west, but we only have footage of them stopping at one roadside store. And that's over a day old.)

"Govorit' na angliyskom! Ne nuzhno nichego govorit', krome etogo, potomu chto eta liniya bezopasna." (Speak English! There's no need to speak anything but that because this line is secure.")

"Da. We tracked them as far as Finland but then lost them until we had a report of them in Germany. We are arranging a flight to Hamburg as we speak."

"There can be no miscalculations. We need her back here and alive! There will be no mercy for you both if you come back emptyhanded."

"Understood."

As the call ends Dimitri has no doubt that his superior would make good on his threat. And now he can't get to Hamburg fast enough.

As his partner comes out of the bathroom still drying his hair from his shower, he looks to him with a look that could only mean one thing to them both. One of absolute fear.

"If we don't find her, you won't need to worry about the proposal for Misha that you have planned. We won't be here long enough to see it happen."

"What did he tell you? Did you explain that we have a possible sighting in Hamburg?"

"I did. But he want's results. Maxim, he told us we were lucky to still be on this! After we lost them in Moscow, he told me that we were the only ones to see them up close. We are the only agents that can identify them."

"So that's why he kept us in this. Now it makes sense."

"Da, and now we need to find them. There can be no screw ups even if we need to kill the both of them to get to her. I don't know about you but I don't want to go back there emptyhanded, the consequences will be final."

"What time is our flight out of Helsinki?"

Dimitri checks his cell phone still in his hand for the time.

"In four hours. Remember we can't be that obvious, the Germans will be watching for anything out of the ordinary."

"I know this, but this is just going to be a quick look at the video and then we'll be heading out."

"If it were only that simple. What we need is someone who heard them talking about their final destination."

"You don't think that Hamburg was their final stop?"

"No, I think that they are trying to backtrack and move West to throw anyone off their trail.

Xx

"Kate, I have three bodyguards booked on the QE2 for the trip. A couple and a single man. They are in the suite right across from Martins suite. I was lucky to get a couple that is posing as a newlywed couple starting their honeymoon in New York City. How's that for a great cover?"

"Unsuspecting I would guess. Good work Rick. Now all they need to do is call us and we can tell them the new plans."

Just as Kate finished her statement Rick's cell rang.

"Hello Martin! It's good to hear your voice." Rick said happily.

"Rick, so where are we about getting out of Southampton?"

"We've decided to get you out on the QE2 right out of Southampton instead of flying you out because we think that Heathrow will be swarming with FSA agents."

"Rick? What's going on? Is there something I should know about?" Martin asked apprehensively.

"Martin as far as we can tell from Kate's contacts there might be two FSA agents that could still be trying to find you. We think that these agents are the ones that lost you in Moscow."

"Do you have any location on them?"

"No I'm afraid not, and this leads me to the other news I have for you."

"Oh? What could that be?"

"Martin, you're on speaker Kate wants to talk to you." Rick told him.

"Martin, seeing that there could be a possible threat we've hired three of Rick's security force to help you get back to New York safe. They will be on the QE2 and all you'll need to know is that they are there. But I'm sure that you will find them and when you do you can talk about how you want to protect Maya and Natalya."

"Kate, Rick won't it be better if they let us know that they are there? This way we can talk to each other before we set sail to set up a plan if something does happen." Martin asked.

"Rick, he might be right why don't we just have them get together in his suite and they can talk strategy together."

"Martin, do you think that's the way to go?"

"Rick, planning is key. And I'm assuming that they're going to be armed correct?"

"Yes, they are, handguns only. I will call them and set it up.

Sorry Rick we've driven more than thirteen hours straight so now myself, Maya, and Natalya are going to get some well needed and well-deserved rest. Tomorrow I will be returning the rental car and getting us all ready for the trip across the Atlantic."

Rick felt really good about finally getting everything taken care of for them to get back to New York. But he still questions how Kate would take to meeting Natalia. He knew that the situation would be a strain on their marriage, but they could work through just about anything, he hopes….


	6. Chapter 6

Martin, Maya, and Natalya stood on the street that led to the dock where the QE2 was berthed. It was a very large ship.

"Marty, how big is the room we will be staying in going to be?" Asked Natalya.

"I'm not sure Natalya. But if I know the person who got us these rooms they will be very spacious and come with just about everything you could imagine needing."

"Who got us these rooms on the ship." She then asked.

Martin is a little evasive told her that a very rich man had gotten them these rooms. He wasn't lying but he really wasn't really telling the truth either.

"The cruise will be about seven days long. We were lucky to get a ship that sailed non-stop from Southampton to New York."

Xx

Viktor has been with the FSA for a very short time. He was young and somewhat inexperienced. He can't believe that they stuck him out here in the middle of nowhere to look for two adults and one child. That was like trying to find a needle in a haystack but he stayed diligent to his mission. He was portraying a dock worker on pier 96 right alongside the Queen Elizabeth II. He's been here for two days and saw nothing that resembled the people he was looking for. He really wants to leave, he wants to be in the thick of the action not here watching people get on a boat. He once again removes the picture of the three people he has to find from his pocket and studies it. He sees nobody that resembles the people he is looking for making their way onto the ship. He returns to is make-believe task of cleaning up the dock. Just as he turns his back, Martin, Maya, and Natalia walk from the street onto the dock than on to the gangplank entering onto the QE2.

Xx

As they walk through the hallways of the ship the steward brings them to Martin's room first. The steward opened the door and Martin's jaw dropped. What he was looking at was a five-star hotel room on the water. The room had a balcony and a king size bed, LCD televisions, yes televisions there were two and a mini bar that was completely stocked.

"Here is the key to your room sir enjoy your cruise." The steward said.

"Thank you. But if you don't mind I'd like to get the women settled into their suite as well."

"Jolly good. We're off then." The steward turned and left the room and turned right.

The steward walked down the corridor to the next room connected to his. He opens the door and Natalia and Maya walked through the doorway.

"Martin this room is for both of us? It's bigger than your room it even has a larger balcony!" Maya almost shouted.

"That's true Miss. The rooms with these balconies on this side of the ship were added not long ago. When you decide to eat any meal, you will be eating in the Queen's Grill which is directly below us. Of course, you can eat anywhere on the ship but the Queen's grill is designated for your rooms only. Enjoy your cruise and if you need anything just contact the concierge."

Now, this was living life to the extreme! It was perfect. He would get lost in here and never want to leave. Drawn from his daydreaming he is being asked something.

"What do you say we take a walk around the ship and see what we can do while we're here?" Maya asked.

"I think that sounds like a great idea. Do you know if they have a swimming pool? Natalia asked.

"If I'm correct I think they have three swimming pools. You can pick anyone you want to swim in as long as one of us are with you that is. But before we do that we're going to need to go to the ship's store and get you a bathing suit and Maya as well because I don't think we packed swimming suits. I know I didn't."

"Martin, how are we going to buy anything without cash? I only brought a small amount with us."

"Maya let me make a phone call and I'll see what I can do."

Xx

Rick and Kate decided to sleep in since it was Sunday. He knew that Martin would be at the dock or on the ship already and he also knew that they were going to call soon.

"Rick if we can get them back to New York without incident what are we going to do with Maya and Martin?"

"I'm not sure. I know Martin will no longer be with the CIA. Once this mission is through so is he. He's officially retired. Maya, well she was a teacher or an orphanage administrator I'm not sure which. I think maybe she could work here in the city. I'm sure I could put in a good word for her to get a job."

"Well that takes care of those two, but what about Natalya? I want to be supportive Rick, I really do, but she is your child with somebody else. I'm not jealous it's just that you're going to need help raising an 8-year-old and it's a big undertaking. I never raise a child before so I don't know what I'm doing. This is all unchartered territory for me, Rick. You've done this with Alexis and you've been a great father, but how can I be a good mother?"

"I know this is going to be a lot to deal with Kate. And I know that she is not yours, what I mean is you did not give birth to her and I can't ask you to drop everything to help me raise her. You still have a job to go to every day and I know that it will be tough for the first couple of months."

"Babe that's just it. I don't want it to be hard or tough or anything else. I want to take this day by day and see where are when she has been here for a little while. This will be a big adjustment for the three of us. Have you told your first daughter about Natalya?"

"No, I haven't. She is way too busy working on her thesis on the management strategies and health care for patients with cardiovascular disease. She has been burning the candle at both ends and she never called me back when I left a message for her last week."

"I remember when she would come back to the loft if you got a paper cut. Maybe you should make an appearance at the dorm?"

"Yeah, no. she would consider that an invasion of her privacy. I don't need that grief."

"You need to tell her something. Something that won't make her resent you. You raised a smart person Rick, she will be upset if you don't do something."

"Maybe you're right. I will stop by Columbia tomorrow morning. I think she has a break between classes around lunch."

"Smart man."

Rick's phone rings and he reaches to the nightstand to get it.

"Hello, Martin."

"Hey, Rick. I'm just calling to let you know that the ship has left pier 96 from Southampton. We had no issues getting to our suites and from what I could tell there were no FSA agents anywhere. So now, all we have to do is enjoy the trip. Will be in New York in seven days. I do have one question though, are we allowed to charge items to our room?"

"What kind of items Martin, what could you need?" Rick asks.

"Well it's not for me I could just watch, but Natalia and Maya don't have swimsuits. I was wondering if we could use the ship's store to purchase some necessities for them."

"Martin whatever you need just charge to the room. And I mean whatever you need! If you feel like going swimming then buy a pair of swim trunks. You deserve this for all you've been through. Now just sit back relax and enjoy the trip. Martin Kate wants a word with you." Rick passes the phone to his wife.

"Martin it's Kate. I'm just curious to know if you saw anybody at all looking for you while you were boarding?"

"Nope, not at all Kate. We were expecting it but I think it was the right call by sailing out of Southampton rather than flying out of Heathrow."

"Well okay, then I was just checking to make sure you were safe. How is Natalya?"

"She's doing good Kate. But I think when she gets back to New York it will be a big adjustment for her from where she was living prior to this. I mean Rick has money she didn't have any of that. If anything, this is going to be a big adjustment because you know Rick will be buying her everything under the sun to please her."

"Don't be too sure about that Martin. I think Rick learned his lesson but Alexis. He has changed his attitude when it comes to frivolous spending."

"That's good. Listen I need to go. Maya and Natalya want to get something to eat. I'll give you a call tomorrow night at this time?"

"Sure Martin. Talk to you then. Bye."

"Bye Kate."

The line goes dead and she sees that Rick has fallen back asleep next to her. She thinks that there will be a lot to consider with Natalya living with them. She only hopes that she doesn't disappoint him.


	7. Chapter 7

Life aboard the QE 2 during its heyday must have been great. The ship is the epitome of luxury. Their first day at sea was more of a relaxing one. Martin nor Maya and Natalya had left their suites.

The next morning, they had all decided to have a lite brunch and hit the ship's boutique for swimming apparel.

"So, Natalya what do you think of this swimsuit?" Maya asked her.

"Maya, don't you think that this blue bikini would be better?" Natalya suggested pointing to the two pieces hanging from the rack.

"You know Maya I tend to agree with her. That swimsuit _would_ bring out the blue in your eyes. Martin said

"I can't believe you two, one is worse than the other. Thank you no, but I'll be sticking with the one piece."

For a second Maya caught a look of disappointment on Martin's face. What was he thinking she wondered? Did he want to see her in a two-piece bikini? She's not sure what he wants, maybe later tonight after Natalya is asleep she'll slip into his suite and they will talk.

By the time they get back to their suites, it's close to two in the afternoon. They decide to skip the swimming lessons since Maya has never been in a swimming pool before and take a walk around the Promenade deck of the ship. They started at the stern and walk towards the bow and it takes a half hour but they make a full circle around the ship. Each view is breathtaking in its own way. The sun is low in the sky and it's almost setting by the time they complete their second lap.

Xx

"What do you mean they're gone?" Boris Kuznetsov asked his incompetent agent assigned to finding their target in a Russian accent.

"Just that sir." He said in even a heavier Russian accent.

"Where did you have a location for them last?" He asked.

"In Germany at a roadside fruit stand. The last sighting of them was about 24 hours ago. They could be anywhere."

"We need to recover her. She is the only one who can access the information that comrade Turner had placed in her care."

The inept agent shook as he thought about what it would take to extract that information from an eight-year-old.

"Sir, you do realize that once this information is recovered this girl will be useless, a vegetable at best."

"Yes, I understand this. But Sophia Turner should not have had this child to begin with. We are always taught never to have liabilities, and this is probably one of the biggest liabilities known to man. So, we can either do one of two things once we get her back. First, we can train her in the program that will guarantee our way of life will live on, or second, we will extract the information we need and let her live the rest of her life in a hospital bed somewhere in Siberia."

"Neither sound like options that will be acceptable to the father."

He even gave a stern look to his subordinate and said,

"I could care less about Richard Castle. He is rich, he is arrogant, and if he tries anything against this agency by trying to recover his child he will end up dead."

"Sir, I'm not sure that he isn't already involved. The CIA agent, the orphanage director, and our target have seamlessly escaped the country. If they were last spotted in Germany all indications point to them moving in a Westerly direction."

"Have you heard from the new agent we have in England?"

"We have. He reports nothing out of the ordinary, and he still at the dock well-hidden among the dock workers I might add, but he has not seen nor heard anything resembling our target."

"This agent you have in England, he's new to the agency, isn't he?"

"Yes, sir. And since we thought England was such a far stretch for someone to go to escape he is by himself."

To say that the director of the agency was pissed off would be an understatement. He could tell because his face had started to turn blood red and his nostrils were flaring widely.

"What I want for you to do now is to request from the lead agent in London the camera and security footage from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Bristol Airports. Then start on the National rail service and finally Grimsby & Immingham on the east coast, Port of London, on the River Thames, Milford Haven, and Southampton for the last 48 hours. I want you personally to go over these tapes and make sure that they haven't left by air, sea or rail."

"Yes, sir."

The agent quickly left his office fearing for his life. Because if he knew anything Viktor's time in Southampton will be coming to a close very quickly.

Xx

Martin sat at the desk looking out the window to see the ocean moving slowly by. His thoughts went to Maya earlier today and he was thinking about her now. Could he start something with her romantically? Was she receptive to becoming something more? He knew there was no way she could go back to Russia. And when they arrived back in New York he would be done with getting them there safely. He did have retirement to look forward to but he was always a man who could not sit still he always had to be doing something. When he was younger he had his work to keep his mind occupied. But maybe now he could take up some type of hobby, or start a business of his own. He didn't know what to do. Just as he was starting to think more about what to do about Maya he heard a soft knock on the door connecting their cabins.

What he sees when the door opens is a disheveled Maya looking so small exposed. Maybe she was thinking about him as well.

"Martin, can we talk?" She asked.

"We can. What's on your mind Maya?"

"I have a question for you about earlier when we were in the boutique. Why did you say what you said about the bikini that Natalya liked?"

"Maya, you are a very beautiful woman. You should be wearing a bikini like that because you would look great in it."

Maya blushed and said,

"Martin, do you or could you possibly like me?"

Martin thought about so many things with her question that his mind swam. But two points bothered him. The age difference was the first thought he had considered. Maya had to be at least in her mid-thirties and he was topping the end of his forties. He had to be fifteen years her senior. He never had a specific woman to be with. He was not a monk, but he did not go out and have meaningless affairs with women either. To him, sex with a woman was something that needs to be a special and intimate experience between two people. But besides the fact that his job took up much of his time he never found that one woman to be with.

"Martin are you okay? Or was my question too personal for you?"

"Maya I do think that we could possibly have something together. I'm not sure how to move things forward if that's what you want because I was never very proficient in the mating ritual. So yes, I am attracted to you and if you're on board with this I would like to see where we could go with it, if anywhere. I don't want to be forcing you into anything that you don't want to do…."

Before Martin could finish what he was saying Maya had somehow moved next to him without him realizing it and was leaning in to place her lips upon his. They were both lost in the kiss and it felt so right. Needing air before the passion could continue they separated and looked into each other's eyes. What they both saw was longing for each other that they would have never imagined existed before they became involved with trying to save Natalya.

"Maya, before we get carried away with each other I think it might be better if we slow down, just for tonight. Only because Natalya will be scared if you are not there when she wakes up in the morning. I promise that we will talk more about this tomorrow."

"Martin, are you sure about this? I mean about us?"

Maya did not want to risk her heart only for it to be broken later. She needed to know if she is what he really wanted.

"I am sure Maya. We will have a lot to talk about and don't worry we'll figure it out."

"Okay, Martin. I'm going to go to sleep then."

Maya walked away from him never breaking eye contact. She quietly closed the door between their suites and as she got into bed she couldn't wait for their talk tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

When their third day at sea arrived, he was anticipating the talk he wanted to have with Maya. As he laid in the king-sized bed and thought about what he would say. He wondered if she was thinking about their talk too.

Natalya had watched as Maya had slipped back into the suite through the connecting doors while she pretended to be asleep. She knew that they belonged together or at least could be very good friends and she hoped they talked a little bit. Not able to sleep two hours later she watched as Maya tossed and turned in her bed and knew that she was dreaming about him.

Natalya knew that Maya was dreaming about him. She wondered why they were so blind to what she saw between them. He had been coming out to the orphanage for the last two years and she would always notice the way that she would dress more alluringly on the days he came to see them.

Xx

Maya knew that they would be great together. But something she felt in him made her hesitate. He was reserved. In all the times that he came to see Natalya, he was always showing her his caring side. Now that they had been together for the last week traveling almost across most of Europe, he was showing her that he was a little unsure about how to proceed. Maybe it was him being nervous about how he felt. They really needed to talk. Just as she decided to get out of bed there was a knock on the adjoining room's door.

"Maya, are you up?"

Maya feeling a little modest pulled the comforter up around her neck covering up her nightie.

"Come in Martin."

"Good morning Maya."

Maya patted the spot next to her on the bed motioning him to sit with her. After he sat she was just about to say something when Natalya asked what they were having for breakfast.

"Maya, what are having for breakfast?"

Martin could only smile at the interruption. He should have known better than try to have a serious conversation about what they both wanted with an eight almost nine-year-old in the same room with them.

"Natalya why don't we get ready and see what this ship has for us. I do know that there is a buffet with an omelet station and a fresh fruit table. And the staff will get you anything you could want to eat."

"Yay, let's go!"

Xx

Boris Kuznetsov sat in the leather chair facing the video on his laptop. He was furious. While he thought that he had a capable man on the ground in Southampton, one that could be trusted with the simple task of collecting information, he was miserably mistaken. He watched the video for the third time and as he did he was also trying to figure out how to deal with his agent's latest gaffe. They were walking along the dock without a care in the world. The three of them. The tall ex-CIA agent, the orphanage director, and the child. They entered the QE2 and his agent missed them entirely. Never once did he look up from his task at blending in. He never looked up at the dock because if he did they would have ended this cross-country mess. Boris' desk intercom buzzed to life. He stopped the playback of the video and answered.

"Yes. What is it?"

"Sir agent Sokolov is here and waiting to see you.

"Good. Send him in."

The door to his office opens and in walks Viktor Sokolov. He timidly walks to his superior's desk and stands in front of him.

"Sit down agent Sokolov."

Boris flips the laptop screen to face him and he hits play after he moved the cursor to the beginning of the video.

"Agent, let me ask you something, what do you see here?"

The agent stays silent until the three people he was tasked to find enter the cruise ship from the dock's gangplank.

"It looks like the people the agency was looking for sir."

"It does at that agent. What I need to know is why I'm only hearing about their departure now?"

"I'm not sure sir. There was a lot of people entering the ship, I might have missed them going aboard."

"That's too bad Viktor. This was an important operation for you. What happened shows me that you will never be able to move up to a more sensitive position within the FSA."

"Sir, I can become better. This was my first mission. I know that I can do much better."

Boris pulls open his top desk drawer and withdraws a Walther P88 and raises it to Viktor's head.

"Agent Sokolov, while this might have been your very first mission, it will certainly be your last!"

All Viktor can do is stare him down not giving him the satisfaction of being scared knowing what will come next.

The next sound that he hears is a gunshot and his superior slumps forward onto his desk. The blood starting to pool quickly on the top of the desk from the rather large hole in his head. He hastily checks his own body for a bullet hole but finds nothing on his body. Turning around he sees the FSA chief's assistant holding a still smoking Glock 19 in his hand.

"You need to move NOW!"

"Sir?" Is all Viktor can say.

"Agent, your service has been terminated. Leave this facility now. You will be able to get out of the country. Make it count because you will only have a four-hour head start. I suggest that you use it wisely."

Viktor does not need to be told twice but he needs to ask why.

"Damien, why are you doing this for me?"

"Viktor, it's simple. Boris has become obsolete. His ways of dealing with problems are something that we are trying to stop. I can guarantee that this will no longer be an issue for you. But I do suggest leaving the country and maybe finding some other line of work, one that suits your tastes a little better."

He turns and runs out of the office never to be seen again.

Damien raises his Glock, places it against his temple and pulls the trigger then his body falls to the floor, lifeless.

Xx

Thirty minutes later finds the three of them standing in line at the omelet station. They were quick to be dressed and downstairs. Natalya wanted to see it all and she wanted everything she laid her eyes on. Maya looked at her plate and noticed that she had just about every kind of fruit available, four different types of meat, and an omelet, scrambled eggs, and sunny side up eggs. Natalya places the two plates she was carrying on the table and sits down. She looks like a human vacuum cleaner first to go was the fruit the next to go were the eggs. She even asked Martin to go get her some toast with butter and jelly. When he returned she was just starting on her omelet and everything else was cleaned off.

"Well it looks like will be in New York day after tomorrow." Martin said.

"Martin, I wonder if I'll be able to get a job working with an orphanage or maybe child services when we get to New York?"

"Maya the man who is providing us the trip to New York is very well connected. I think that he might already have something lined up for you so you might not have to worry about looking for something yourself."

They both turned their heads when Natalia said she wanted another omelet.

"Natalia, I think that you've had enough to eat for now. What I was thinking is once your food digests in about a half hour we could go swimming." Maya suggests.

"I'd like that Maya. Will Martin come too?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Martin thought for a second and he had a plan. While there are watching Natalia swim in the pool they could talk. Granted it wouldn't be just them but they could see how they would work out as a couple before they reached New York.

Back in their respective rooms, they had changed and they were all heading towards the pool. As far as pools go, this one was grand. It was larger than an Olympic sized pool. On one end they had a water volleyball net set up. There were two families playing there and Natalya asked if they could play with them. Martin wanted Natalya to become more receptive to other people since she had limited exposure to other families while she was at the orphanage so he walked to the end of the pool and had a short talk with the parents there with their children playing volleyball.

"Hi. My name is Martin Danberg and I was wondering if you might want to have another player to even out your team?"

"Hi Martin my name is Dave and this is Joy, my wife. My brood is here with me Jonathan, Sarah, and Paul."

From the other side of the pool, a second man announced his presence.

"Hey Martin my name is Peter and this is my wife Roxy. With us are our children Paulette, Michael, and Gigi."

"Well, it's nice to meet every one of you. My friend's daughter is traveling with us back to New York and she is really interested in playing volleyball with you."

I think that she'd be very welcome with us. Tell her to come over."

Martin thanks them For their hospitality. He turns and heads back to Maya and Natalia.


	9. Chapter 9

Martin watches as Natalya plays with the other two families. He believes that being with these people has opened her up to something more lasting. He can only hope that they become better friends when they get to New York. He knows that Joy and Dave live in Manhattan not that far from Rick. Roxy and Peter live out on the island. Still not far if Rick wanted them to come to his place or he could visit them. He looks over to Maya and knows that this is the best time to have their talk with Natalya occupied with water volleyball.

He looks over at her and he sees her looking back at him with so much hope in her eyes that it almost breaks him.

"Maya, do you think we could talk now?"

"Yes, we can Martin."

"Good. This is good." He said with enthusiasm. "What I will say might come out wrong or be totally inappropriate because I'm new at doing something like this…."

"Something like what Martin?" Maya asked as she cut him off.

"Talking with a beautiful woman."

Maya's cheeks turned red and her head bowed down hiding her blush.

"I think that you're something that should be cherished Maya. You're a person who loves life. I have no experience or training in matters of the heart. I know this might come as a shock to you but I was married to my job. I lived, breathed, and did everything for my job. It's all I had so now while this situation might be normal for you, it's terrifying for me."

"Martin, I hate to say this but I'm the same kind of person. And it would not be far from being the truth that our jobs were our priority. The orphanage was my only purpose in life. It's what I did day in and day out and I enjoyed it. But that left very little time to be romantic or intimate with any man."

"I never knew Maya I'm so sorry."

"Martin don't be sorry. I think that you were sent to look after Natalia for a reason. And that reason was to bring us together. Now I admit that things might be a little bit rough for us when we first get past the awkward part of getting to know each other, but I think we should be able to work through just about anything life throws at us."

"Maya I agree with you but like I told you this is all new territory for me so I'm going to need a little bit of help to navigate what we might start."

"Martin, tell me exactly what you think of when say you want to start something?"

"It's simple. I want to take you to dinner, bring you to a movie and laugh at the funny scenes in it, cry at the sad ones…. together. I want to take walks through Central Park and just admire everything that two people can admire just by being themselves, being carefree like all people."

"You want that with me?" She asked a little shyly.

"Why not? I think that we can be great together, don't you?"

"Martin, I never thought that someone would be interested in me that way. My life was sheltered. I never had a boy or man to date when I was growing up. My parents told me that there were better options in life than getting involved with men. So, I concentrated on becoming what I am now."

"Well Maya, I think that you are a very compassionate, loving, giving woman and I'd like to date you."

"Martin, I'd love to date you too!"

Martin gets up off his lounger and sits down next to Maya. He leans in and places a very soft and short pure kiss on her lips. She responds the same and before he realizes it she is pulling away from him.

"Martin while this is something I'd like to keep doing and I really like it, Natalya is right over there in the pool. I'd like to keep this to ourselves for a little while longer if we can, without prying eyes. Okay?"

"I agree. What do you say about having some lunch? I'm sure that we can find something good to eat around here."

"Now, that sounds like a great idea."

Xx

"Rick, we need to talk." Kate said as she walked into his study while he was writing.

When he's in the zone nothing stops him. There could a seven-point five earthquake destroying all of New York, a zombie apocalyptic event, or even a meteor hurtling towards earth but nothing other than those words could make him stop typing. He looks up over the lid of his laptop and sees his wife sit down in the seat opposite him with a very serious face on.

"Uh, Kate what did you want to talk about?"

"Rick, are we really going to ignore the elephant in the room?"

"What are you talking about Kate?"

"Come on Rick! You need to deal with _her_."

"You know I can't."

"Why?"

He hated having this conversation now. But she was right he needed to deal with this head-on.

"Because she lied to me. She never told me that she was pregnant. And that threw everything off with you."

"With me? What are you talking about?" She asked shocked.

"Kate, I remember what you said when we were at the morgue during the Blakey case? You said and I quote "There is no big deal, sleep with whoever you want, the more the merrier!"

"Rick I…" God she hated those words now. How much they hurt him even to this day.

"Save it, Kate. It happened long ago. But that moment reminds me how much I've been putting this off and how much I hurt you at the same time."

"Babe, you didn't hurt me. I was pissed off that the two of you were an item. That was way before we became a couple. So don't use that as a way to get out of this conversation."

"But don't you see Kate, I fell into her trap. I didn't mean to but I did then and look what happened when I did."

"Rick, she was a traitor! She lured you into her web and ended up trying to plunge this country into world war three. I know you. And I know that you did resist her in the beginning."

"That still doesn't make me out to be a pillar of strength."

If he only knew about the conversations that she had with Sofia and Meredith when he wasn't around. She had asked both of them if he was worth the effort. Sofia had told her that there was passion, but once they slept together everything had changed and it was just sex without the rush they had before they had sex. Meredith told her that she knew nothing about him but he could tell anyone all about her. She still wanted him for who he is. He's a person who loves the people he cares about especially her.

"Rick, you are my pillar of strength. Don't ever forget that."

Then the way he looked at her, she knew that they would be okay. But they still needed to talk about his daughter.

"Babe, we need to talk about Natalya."

"Alright what about?"

"I just need to know what kind of role you want me in. Am I the mother figure? The friend? Rick this is a first for me. I know that I will screw this up and I don't want this to cause a rift between us."

"Kate, this is new for me too. Let's just wait until she gets here. Then we will all sit down and have a talk together. You, me, Alexis, mother, and Natalya. From there we'll see what to do next. And no there is no way that you could screw this up. Look at all the help you've given Alexis."

He wasn't wrong there, maybe he was right about this. They would talk and see what she needed to become part of this family.

"Okay, so we will all talk together then?"

"Yes, we will but enough about this. Let's call it a night."

"Now that I can agree with. Let's go."

The rest of the night was spent behind closed doors. Rick's laptop sat idle on his desk forgotten.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Warning: This chapter is rated M towards the end.**

Lunch was the perfect way to end the volleyball game. It was a mutual decision that Martin, Maya, Natalya, Joy, Dave, Roxy, and Peter and all their children ate together. Once they sat down the mood of the table became a lot lighter. It was Joy who decided to go around the table and let everyone tell a little something about themselves to everyone there.

Joy was a stay at home mom and that was a job in itself taking care of their three kids and a household. Dave was an IT tech and was very happy with his job. He said it was close to his perfect plan for where they were in their lives now. They live in a large townhouse in Chelsea. Their kids had added that they were all doing great in school and loved living in the city. Then it was Martin's turn.

"I _was_ a CIA agent. I was tasked with completing one last mission before I was forced to retire and I can now say that I have fulfilled that mission as of tomorrow. Now that it's almost complete, I'm not sure what lies ahead for my future. But I do know that this woman next to me will have a say in what we do next." Martin covered Maya's hand with his own as he finished talking.

Everyone's eyes were on the black-haired beauty waiting for her to go next.

Maya just looked over at Martin and couldn't believe that he'd included her in his future. Then it was her turn.

"Hi, I'm Maya. I was born in Russia and spent all of my life there. I managed a middle orphanage."

The group looked at her with a question on their minds and an equal look on their faces.

After realizing her statement she clarified.

"A middle orphanage is an orphanage that is specific to the age of the child we take care of. Natalya was one of these children. The ages were from birth to age ten. If they were not placed with someone by that age they were moved to the next higher orphanage."

The group nodded as they understood what she meant.

Roxy and Peter lived on Long Island and had for their whole lives. They were high school sweethearts and were married while they were in college. Peter was a partner in a law firm and Roxy was a graphic designer. Their oldest Paulette was going to be starting college in the fall. She applied and was accepted at NYU. Their other children were also doing great in school, well besides Michael who really hated math.

Then all eyes were on Natalya. She looked at everyone and in her Russian accent, she started talking.

"Hello everyone! My name is Natalya and I am from Russia too, I spent my whole life in the orphanage that Maya worked at. I lost my mom when I was about a year old and I don't know who my father is or where he is. I like to draw and learn. I like to read books with lotsa words in them. I like American food especially cheeseburgers and pizza!"

The whole table had questions and looked to Maya for the answers.

"This will be hard for you to hear Maya and Natalya, but at one time her mother was my partner in the CIA. She found the lure of money to be too great and she became a traitor to our country. She was killed as she was about to kill Natalya's father at gunpoint."

"Martin?" Maya asked.

"Maya, it was me who shot and killed Sophia. I had to or she was going to kill Natalya's father and at the time his partner with him to protect her role in the plan to start world war three."

Natalya could only stare at Martin. When he looked her way, he could already see that he had shattered her life to pieces he could only hope that there would be a way for him to fix what he had done. What he wasn't expecting was the question she asked after a moment of silence surrounded the table.

"Martin you know who my daddy is?"

"I do Natalya. He's the one who sent me to get you and keep you safe from the bad people."

Now what happened next really threw Martian for a loop. He thought that Natalya would retreat into herself, and hate him, but instead, she got up off the chair that she was in, walked over to where he was sitting and stood between himself and Maya. She squeezed between the two of them, turned to face him, climbed up onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him in one of the most loving hugs he had ever received from her.

"Martin, Maya has never told me what happened to my mommy and if she was as bad as you say she was then what you did was right because it only kept her from killing my daddy."

The table was stunned and almost in tears by what they just heard. Their own lives were sheltered and they never realized that things like this happened outside of their own little world. They found new friends and would never let them go through what they had gone through alone again.

Deciding to move on to a lighter topic Maya asked what everyone was they were going to do tomorrow.

"So, we will be arriving at pier ninety-six in New York around eleven tomorrow morning. What are everyone's plans for our last day?"

"Maybe we can all meet for breakfast at eight before we dock?" Peter suggested.

"Well, we think that's a great idea!" All the kids said almost in unison along with Natalya who was still sitting on Martin's lap. He could only smile because he knew that these people would be a part of her life from now on and he was glad that he went to the end of the pool to ask if she could join them.

"Then it's settled!" Joy said.

They finished their dessert and left the table with plans to meet the following morning.

They ate a light fare for dinner. Room service consisted of BLT's and half a carrot cake for dessert. When they were done eating Maya took Natalya back to their room through the adjoining doors. She helped Natalya brush her teeth, wash her face and changed her into pajamas. Sitting next to her on the bed she started.

"Honey, I need to tell you something. Something that I'm not sure how to tell you."

"Maya, do you want to have a sleepover with Martin tonight?"

God this child had the ability to read her mind. But she didn't want to assume anything so she would confirm that she did indeed want to have a sleepover in the next room with Martin.

"Yes, Natalya I would like to stay with Martin tonight. Will you be alright with me doing that?"

"Maya, you'll be right next door? You won't leave me alone right?"

"Oh no, I would never do that! I love you, Nat."

"I will be okay with you staying with Martin. But promise me that this if I have a bad dream you'll be right here by my side?"

"I will be. I promise."

"Okay."

Maya gets her tucked in and changes into something that she has to be more feminine. Natalya approved at her selection by nodding. The smile that she wore gave Maya the courage she needed to go to his suite. She smiled back at her and made her way to Martin's suite.

He hoped that she understood the message he was sending her when they were at lunch. He wanted her in his life and he just about asked her to move in with him. When the door failed to open, he moved to the bed to go to sleep.

He felt something warm next to him, against his back to be more specific. Then he remembered that he went to sleep alone. Checking the clock, he had only been asleep for about an hour. He reluctantly rolled over onto his side and was met with a pair of beautiful eyes filled with mischief.

He placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face.

"You came."

"I did. Now let me show you how much I love you."

Martin removed her negligée with care and placed it at the end of the bed. When he looked back at her all he saw was the beauty that she was. He made quick work of her panties and now she was totally naked and ready for him.

Since this was their first time he took his time to explore every part of her body to find out what areas aroused her the most. From the moaning that was coming from her throat, he knew which spots on her body to file away for future reference. When he was finished with her body he used his mouth to suck on her very hard and sensitive nipples. He traded off on each of her breasts with his mouth and hand never letting either of her breasts lose contact with him. He moved southward with gentle kisses on her abdomen and then lower still. She gently placed her hands on each side of his head guiding him to where she wanted his mouth.

She felt her release shudder through her and it was a feeling that she never experienced in her life. But she needs him inside of her. So, she told him so.

"I need you inside me, lover!"

Martin didn't need to be told twice. He lined up pressing against her entrance and looked her in the eyes until she nodded. He slowly entered her and waited until she adjusted to him before he started with easy loving strokes. It was about a minute later when she spurred him on to go deeper and faster by digging her heels into his ass. Maya was a woman who was not afraid to be vocal when she finally let go. She was almost screaming when she came. So much so that he thought that she'd wake Natalya. When he laid down next to her she looked over at him and giggled.

"Maya, what's so funny?"

"Martin I've never had an orgasm like that before in my life!"

If Martin felt anything right at this moment it was pride. He knew what his lover wanted from him and he gave it to her. They would get to know each other better in the future but for now, it was a good start. Soon in each other's arms, they drifted off to a deep but satisfied, sated sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Their trip is coming to an end. They all met for breakfast and decided that they were going to keep in touch after they had all settled back in when they docked and left the ship. It would not be the type of friendship that was just a phone call and that was it.

Martin had wanted to escort Natalya directly to Rick and Kate and discuss what was to happen from this point forward. He hoped that they (meaning himself and Maya) had the possibility of a job when he finished his current mission. He hoped they did because if Rick did not come through for them then it would take him a while to contact his friends for a job. He was only forty-six and he knew that he had at least twenty more good years left in him to give someone else.

Kate and Rick were waiting in the waiting area of pier 96 and they were amazed at the size of the QE2. It took a while before the ship was tied up and the gangplank was lowered. When it was it turned into a waiting game.

"Rick stop fidgeting! When the ship docks they will be here. God, you're like a kid at his first their first dentists' appointment. Just calm down."

"Kate this is it! A defining moment in my life…I mean our life when we will finally be meeting my daughter."

"Rick, I know that this is huge for you, but could you try to tone it down a little? Natalya might be just as nervous as you are. We want her to feel at home."

"Yeah, you're right." Rick stuck his hands in his pockets to stop from becoming that animated.

The sound of the tugboats blowing their horns and moving up river got his attention. No sooner after they left Rick heard the gangplank being lowered into place from the overhead crane on the dock. Once the crew had secured the gangplank, they watched as passenger started getting off and head to customs to check in.

Martin and Maya along with their luggage moved closer towards the check-in desk for customs. Natalya was amazed at all that surrounded her. She has never been to another country before in her life and this was all a new experience. When they're turned came Martin stepped up, presented his passport to the immigration official and waited. The agent looked over the passport and asked Martin the following question.

"Sir, are you traveling with anyone?"

"Yes. These two women here are with me. Is there a problem?"

"Okay, could you please step this way."

Maya and Natalia's passports were checked and then they were led down to an office not far from the entry point. Martin who had been in situations like this before felt a little bit uneasy but realized once they reach the office why they were being brought here. When they entered the office Rick and Kate were standing waiting for them. He had arranged for them to be escorted somewhere private for their first meeting.

When Martin walks through the door he noticed the look on Kate's face was nothing but loving. She had a smile that showed how happy she was. Rick, on the other hand, was hesitant. When Martin walked up and gave Kate a quick hug, she had the following to say.

"Martin, just two minutes ago Rick could barely stand still! He was jumping around like a man on fire. But now that I look at him, I see that he's just as nervous as Natalya is."

Kate looks at Martin and sees the 8-year-old brown haired girl hiding behind him.

"You're right Kate I think they are both just very nervous. So, what do you say shall we start with the introductions now?"

"I think that would be a great idea." Kate said.

"Maya, Natalya I'd like to introduce you to Kate Beckett. And standing to the right of her is her fiancé Rick Castle.

"Kate, Rick this is Maya." Martin says as he puts his arm around her shoulders. "And this little one hiding behind me being very shy is Natalya."

"Kate gets down to eye level with Natalya."

"Hello Natalya, it's nice to meet you."

Natalya looks around the back of Martin's coat and cracks a little smile. Kate thought of talking to her in Russian but decided against it because Rick would no clue what was being said.

"I'd like you to introduce yourself to my friend here. He's been waiting a long time to see you, Natalya."

Rick took the initiative and knelt down alongside Kate.

"Hi Natalya!" Rick waited a beat before telling her his news. "I'm your dad."

At first, Natalya was a little shocked by what was just said. She never knew her father and now this man said he was her father she didn't know what to believe.

"Natalya he's telling you the truth. Martin said.

Natalya trusted Martin and when she looked up into his eyes she could tell he was not lying to her.

"Martin, does this mean that I'll never see you again?"

"No Natalya we will be in touch I can guarantee you that. I will always make time to see you, you will always be in my heart. We made a lot of friends on our way over remember? They will be there for you also"

Natalya smiled at the memory.

Kate extended her hand for Natalya to take and hopefully she would trust her enough. About ten seconds later Natalya took Kate's hand and she came out from behind Martin.

Martin had one more thing to discuss before he left.

"Rick, now that my mission is complete I am now officially retired from the CIA. I have some money saved up but I feel that I can give some employer a good twenty years of my life. My question to you is do you know anyone or any company that is looking for a man with my skills?"

"Martin, I do know people in my circles who are looking for men with your skill-set. And I also have a permanent position for Maya as an assistant director for a large private orphanage in the city. You can thank Kate for that because she used her connections with the NYPD to get her the position. The job is hers if she wants it."

"Rick I can't thank you enough." Martin was very happy.

"Martin, believe me, it was my pleasure. You brought home my daughter."

They all left the room that they were in and headed out to the street. Martian watched as Kate, Natalya and Rick would start a new chapter in their lives and he hoped that they were invited to share in it. Their cab pulled away from the curb heading downtown and watched as Natalya had waved at them from the back of the cab. They waved in return.

"So Martin, now that we're alone is there something that you'd want to do?" She winked at him with one thing on her mind.

"Now that you mention it…. There is one thing that I like to do right now."

Martin raised his hand for a cab and one stopped right next to them. They got in and gave the cabbie his address. The cab headed uptown to his brownstone. Sitting in the back of taxi he was hopeful that the prospects of their employment were solid. He was finally able to settle down with the woman he loved and think about having a child with her, the one thing that he always put off because of his job.

"Maya, what do you think about children...?"


End file.
